It was a very successful first half of the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates as it has the third best record in the major leagues. With that in mind it is time to revisit some of the successes in the first half of the season. 10. Home opener- This was mentioned in an earlier article so I will keep the description short. A home opener always makes every baseball fan excited as they have waited a long time for the season to begin. The familiar sights, smells and sounds bring a smile to every ... Read More
Checking in on Pirates top prospects
As Pittsburgh Pirates fans may be all too familiar with by now, the lower budget Major League club’s lifeblood is the team’s farm system. With the MLB All-Star Future’s Game now in the rear view mirror, now is a good time to see how some of the club’s top prospects have been performing this year. Keep in mind pitchers Jameson Taillon and Nick Kingham were omitted due to having both suffered a major injury that cost them most of their seasons. Tyler Glasnow - The right-handed pitcher was ... Read More
Pirates leave their mark on All-Star game
Though the National League Team lost the 2015 MLB All-Star Game, three Pittsburgh Pirates made contributions. Andrew McCutchen started for the NL and got the chance to bat leadoff. When he batted in the bottom of the sixth he was 2-for-10 in his career at the All-Star Game. McCutchen faced Chris Archer of the Tampa Bay Rays who has earned some consideration for the AL Cy Young Award. The Pirates center fielder wasted no time hitting a home run to left field to cut the NL deficit to one run ... Read More
Pirates option Boscan before All-Star break
The Pittsburgh Pirates have optioned relief pitcher Wilfredo Boscan to Triple-A Indianapolis. No corresponding roster move will be announced until after the all-star break. Boscan, 25, was called up from Indianapois on Sunday after the Pirates and Cardinals went 14 innings on Saturday night. He was brought in as help for the beleaguered bullpen, but the manager Clint Hurdle ended up not calling on the young Venezuelan despite starting pitcher Francisco Liriano only going 6 1/3 ... Read More
POLL: Who would win a Pirates home run derby?
With the MLB Home Run Derby tonight in Cincinnati, it had is thinking what the results would be if the Pirates squared off against each other in a home run derby. Who would you pick to win? [poll id="141"] ... Read More
Bucs walk it off again with 10th-inning rally
Of all times to get first career walkoff hit, Gregory Polanco decided to do it in front of a national audience. His 10th inning single was part of a three-run inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5. The Pirates will go into the All-Star Break with a 53-35 record and trail the Cardinals by just 2.5 games in the National League Central after taking three games of a four-game series. “This series has been crazy," Francisco Cervelli said. "Four playoff like ... Read More
Neal Huntington presser 7/12: Assessing Pirates through one half of season
For the final time in the first half of the season, Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington met with members of the media to discuss the state of the team heading into the All-Star Break and what to look for in the immediate future. The following transcript looks at several of the topics Huntington spoke about: On Josh Bell: “We’ll take the home runs as they show up more frequently as he learns the league.” On if Francisco Cervelli has been a bargain: “Being straightforward, ... Read More
Pirates Pregame 7/12: ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ visits PNC Park for Bucs, Cardinals
Adding to their recent stretch of games involving rain and extra innings, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in another five-hour marathon game on Saturday night by a score of 6-5 in 14 innings. “It seems like every single game is going to be tight and we’re going to have to battle and claw our way through everything," Pirates catcher Chris Stewart said. Tonight will be the second Sunday Night Baseball telecast for the Pirates in as many years and both have come ... Read More
Boscan returns to the Pirates
After an extra inning game against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates have elected to call up another arm for the bullpen selecting Wilfredo Boscan. This is Boscan's second time up with the Pirates this season, however he did not make any appearances the first time, which he was also brought up because of reliever usage. Steve Lombardozzi's name was not listed on Sunday night's lineup card meaning he is the corresponding move. Lombardozzi was 0-for-10 in game ... Read More
McCutchen wins it in extras for Pirates
Andrew McCutchen's two-run home run in the 14th inning gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The homer extended McCutchen's hitting streak to 18 games this despite a couple of nearly game-changing calls from home plate umpire Vic Carapazza. “Quite the climactic ending right there," McCutchen said. "That was a lot of fun and who would have thought it came to that?” Mark Reynolds struck out and so did Jhonny Peralta. Carapazza ruled each a foul ball when ... Read More